Spatels

Spatels is a plural form that may refer to various paddle-like tools known in English as spatulas, used for turning, scraping, or transferring materials. The term is uncommon in modern English; standard plurals are spatulas or spatulae, and some languages (such as German) may use the word Spatel. Because of this, “spatels” can appear in multilingual contexts or older texts.

In culinary contexts, spatels (spatulas) have blades that range from flexible to rigid and are made from silicone, plastic, stainless steel, or wood. They are used to flip foods, scrape bowls, spread ingredients, and fold mixtures without overly mashing them. Heat resistance and food safety are important considerations when selecting a kitchen spatula.

In laboratory settings, spatels are flat, narrow blades attached to handles and designed to move, scoop, or transfer solids. Lab spatels are typically made of stainless steel or plastic; some have curved or angled edges to access tight spaces or to scrape residues from containers. They are chosen for chemical compatibility and ease of cleaning, with attention to avoiding cross-contamination.

Other variants include cosmetic spatulas, used to dispense creams, and art or pottery spatels, used to mix or apply modeling pastes. Across applications, spatels share the basic form of a thin paddle attached to a handle, optimized for precise, controlled manipulation of solids or semi-solids.